Randolph School Committee votes to ask town for 12% increase, $57.8 million for FY2026
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Summary
At a May 1 public hearing the Randolph School Committee voted unanimously to submit a $57,786,288 request to the town — a 12% increase — citing rising enrollment, special-education costs and staffing needs tied to accreditation concerns.
The Randolph School Committee voted Thursday, May 1, 2025, to send a request to the town for a $57,786,288 appropriation for Randolph Public Schools— a 12% increase over the current budget.
The hearing and vote came after Superintendent Dr. Tia Stovell presented the draft fiscal year 2026 budget and detailed the items driving the increase, including rising enrollment, special-education and transportation costs, and contractually required salary step and lane increases. Chair Lisa Caradonna called the public hearing and led the roll call vote; the motion passed on a roll call with all committee members present voting yes.
Dr. Stovell told the committee the increase is needed to add staff and maintain programs as student enrollment has climbed and class sizes at Randolph High School have grown to the high 30s in some courses. "This budget includes positions intended to address our rising enrollment and related course-coverage needs," Dr. Stovell said during the presentation.
Why it matters: Committee members and district leaders said the budget request is intended to prevent staff reductions that would affect class offerings and to address compliance issues raised by an accreditation warning from NEASC. School leaders also said uncertainty in state and federal allocations increases the district's financial risk if town support falls short.
Supporting details: Dr. Stovell walked the committee through detailed line items and offsets, noting where increases reflect new or restored positions (for example special-education teachers and pre-K staff) and where costs reflect contractual obligations such as steps, lanes and cost-of-living adjustments. The public notice for the hearing referenced Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 71, section 38N. Copies of the budget were posted on the district website and at the superintendent's office.
Committee action: A committee member moved to approve the FY2026 appropriation request as presented; a second was recorded and the full committee voted yes in roll call (Caradonna, Christian, Gordon, Nitson, Ackles and Millwood). The committee chair instructed staff to formally forward the request to the town fiscal office for consideration by the town manager and town council.
Next steps: Dr. Stovell told the committee she had asked the town manager for a response within a week and said the manager requested seven days to propose numbers to the town council. The superintendent and committee members said they will continue to press for funding to avoid layoffs and program cuts if the town manager's recommended number differs materially from the committee's request.
Ending: The school committee closed the public hearing after the vote and scheduled follow-up budget and joint-meeting work with the town as needed to address remaining gaps.
